Brown: We will use navy to help stranded Britons

Monday, 19 April 2010 10:14 AM

By politics.co.uk staff

The government's emergency committee, Cobra, has decided to use the Royal Navy to repatriate stranded Britons.

A full emergency committee, chaired by Gordon Brown, met this morning in the Cabinet office briefing room, in the bowels of Whitehall, to try and resolve the problem which has seen UK airspace closed since Thursday.

And the prime minister said HMS Ark Royal and HMS Ocean will be used to ferry passengers back to Britain, with HMS Albion also being considered for passenger use as it transports 3 Battalion, The Rifles back from deployment, via Spain.

He said: "We have seen the spirit and resilience of the British people shown to it's best, and we are determined to help."

Mr Brown also said passenger capacity on cross-channel ferries, Eurostar and the Channel tunnel will be increased.

It is estimated that 150,000 Britons may be stranded abroad, including the children of Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, who have been staying with their mother's family in Spain.

Security minister Lord West, a former head of the Royal Navy, said: "We clearly have a reasonable lift capacity within the Royal Navy for lifting people... we are finding exactly what ships are available, what would be able to move, what's the best port to go to."

Airlines and airports are calling for flight restrictions, which have been extended to 01:00 BST tomorrow, to be lifted.

The cloud is said to be costing airlines £130m a day.

Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers said: "With thousands of Britons stuck in airports overseas, it is hugely worrying that there is no end in sight for the flight ban."

Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Norman Baker said it needed to be "urgently assessed" how much longer British passengers will be stranded.

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• transport